Cash-for-query row: ED files money laundering case against Mahua Moitra, Darshan Hiranandani
Mahua Moitra
Indian law enforcement agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has filed a money laundering case against All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra and businessman Darshan Hiranandani in connection with an alleged cash-for-queries scam case, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday (Apr 2) citing official sources.
Moitra, a former Member of Parliament from Krishnanagar seat in the state of West Bengal, was expelled from the Lok Sabha for "unethical conduct" last year in December. However, she challenged her expulsion and moved the Supreme Court.
She has been renominated by the party as its candidate from the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal for the upcoming election.
The sources reportedly said that the federal agency filed the enforcement case information report (ECIR), the ED equivalent of a police FIR, against the two. The ED case was registered two or three days ago.
The accused are being probed under the civil sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The probe agency has also called Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Hiranandani in this case for questioning.
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However, they have cited official engagements and have not appeared for probe till now.
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In March, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had conducted searches at the premises of Moitra. They carried out searches after filing a FIR.
CBI officials had said that the CBI registered an FIR against her and Hiranandani on the directives of Lokpal which has instructed the agency to file its report within six months.
The Lokpal of India, the anti-corruption authority, last month ordered the CBI to register and probe the cash-for-query case against Moitra. The investigation was supposed to be under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
"We direct the CBI, under Section 20(3)(a) to investigate all aspects of the allegations made in the complaint, and submit a copy of the Investigation Report within a period of six months from the date of receipt of this order," the order read.
(With inputs from agencies)